School

School is a place of learning for life. It is supposed to prepare children and young people for the many challenges that face adult human beings in our society. In order to do justice to this task, the individual needs, tendencies and talents of learners should be recognized and encouraged. This requires the ability and motivation on the part of teachers to see and build on this potential. Here, knowledge of gender relations in the school context is called for. Anybody who is aware of the typical gender aspects in the school can deal properly with different girls and different boys. A central factor is work that is differentiated according to target group. Only so can a school system be created that is in line with individual needs and desires, and it is only in this way that a principle of best possible encouragement can be successfully asserted.

Differentiation in terms of target groups must be integrated into all decision-making processes which set framework conditions for day-to-day life in school (e.g. laws, guidelines or framework programs) and in the shaping of the school day itself (design of school buildings, gender democracy in the staffroom, teaching methods and content, etc.).

Differentiation in terms of target groups is facilitated by allowing for the diversity of students and of staff in the shaping of the school’s everyday life. Difference and diversity can take various dimensions, such as sexual orientation, biological sex, or ethnic or social origin. There are studies and literature [German link] that demonstrate that these factors are relevant for the integration of people into the school system, for the development of their skills, their social behavior and their prospects for the future. In a school that is differentiated in terms of target groups, children, young people and staff are treated equally in their existing diversity. This means on the one hand anti-discrimination work and on the other hand the creation of equal involvement in terms of being present in person and representing content in all matters affecting the everyday life of the school.

There are numerous gender aspects which are important in the subject area “school”.